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Witness: Wing walker looked 'very scared' before fatal crash

A wing walker and aerobatic pilot killed in a fiery crash at an Ohio air show practiced their performance the previous day and reported no mechanical problems with the plane, according to preliminary report released Thursday by federal investigators.

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Updated: 7:00 PM EDT Jul 4, 2013

Witness: Wing walker looked 'very scared' before fatal crash

A wing walker and aerobatic pilot killed in a fiery crash at an Ohio air show practiced their performance the previous day and reported no mechanical problems with the plane, according to preliminary report released Thursday by federal investigators.

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Updated: 7:00 PM EDT Jul 4, 2013

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WEBVTT INFORMATION TONIGHT ABOUT THATDEADLY PLANE CRASH... AT THEDAYTON AIR SHOW.THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATIONSAFETY BOARD... RELEASED ITSPRELIMINARY REPORT.WLWT'S NEWS 5'S KARIN JOHNSON...JOINS US LIVE WITH THE DETAILS.THE PILOT AND WING WALKER WEREBOTH KILLED IN THIS ACCIDENT.TONIGHT, WE'RE LEARNING A LITTLEMORE ABOUT WHAT WENT WRONG.THOUSANDS WATCHED FROM THEGROUND... A STUNT THAT WASSUPPOSED TO AMAZE THE CROWD.INSTEAD SPECTATORS GASPED INHORROR AS THE PLANE CRASHED TOTHE GROUND. THE PILOT CHARLIESCHWENKER AND WING WALK JANEWICKER WERE KILLED INSTANTLY. INA PRELIMINARY REPORT, THE N-T-S-B SAYS THE PLACE JUSTCOMPLETED A LEFT "TEAR DROP"STYLE TURN AND WAS POSITIONINGTO CROSS IN FRONT OF SPECTATORS.THE REPORT STATES, "as theairplane approached the crowd,it rolled upside down. Whileflying inverted from thesoutheast to the northwest infront of the spectators, theairplane's nosepitched slightly above thehorizon. The airplane abruptlyrolled to the right and impactedterrain in a descendingleft-wing- low attitude." THEN-T-S-B SAYS SCHWENKER ANDWICKER HAD PRACTICED THEPERFORMANCE THE DAY BEFORE THEACCIDENT. NEITHER REPORTED ANYMECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OFFAILURES WITH THE AIRPLANE.STATE HIGHWAY PATROLINVESTIGATORS PREVIOUSLY SAIDTHE CRASH WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSEDBY PILOT ERROR.AGAIN THIS IS JUST A PRELIMINARYREPORT. N-T-S-B'S FULL REPORTCOULD TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 6MONTHS TO A YEAR. SHEREE ANDMIKE.

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Witness: Wing walker looked 'very scared' before fatal crash

A wing walker and aerobatic pilot killed in a fiery crash at an Ohio air show practiced their performance the previous day and reported no mechanical problems with the plane, according to preliminary report released Thursday by federal investigators.